Shoe for flat-footed persons.



P. LENGEMANN. SHOE FOR PLAT FOOTED PERSONS. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 8,1910.

Patented July 4, 1911.

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UNITED STATES PAUL LENGEMANN, 0F BRIEMEN', GERMANY.

SHOE FOR FLAT-FOOTED PERSONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4., 1911.

Application filed December 8, 1910. Serial no. 596,184.

This invention relates to shoes for flatfooted persons, in which theparts for sup porting the arch of the foot are permanent and fixedelements and not removable inserted pieces; and, as also distinguishedfrom such known forms of construction,

the advantages of permanent support are combined with those ofnon-conspicuousness .and elegance. For thepurpose of enabling productionto be effected on a large scale and so that the shoes forflat-footedpersons can be easily fitted to particular individuals, thearch of the-sole and the side curve of the foot are provided for as iswell known by' two independent supporting devices. The arch of the soleis obtained in the known manner by means of a wide spring plate.sltuated under the insole, and which may be so stout and yet so arrangedthat its presence does not impart any awkward appearance to the shoe. Afar more dilficult task is that of cleverly arranging and forming thesupport for the side curve of the foot, and this is the special objectof the present invention.

In the. drawing Figure 1 represents the under side of the insole withsupporting device b lying thereon for the side curve of the foot. Fig. 2is a similar illustration with the supporting device a for the arch ofthe sole or footin the direction of the line of its longitudinal center.Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the insole and the supportingdevice a lying between the insole and the outer sole or tread. Fig. 4 isa fragmentary bottom plan view of the insole, the supporting device andplate being removed therefrom.

For the purpose of clearness different dimensions are shown exceedinglylarge.

The essential feature of the invention is that the plate I) provided forsupporting the side-curve of the foot is held by a number of narrowstays a, which coming through between the different stitches in theedge.

of the insole d and outer sole 6 are arranged between these two. It hasbeen found very practicable to form excisions in the r inforced insole,into which the stays 0 are let,

for the purpose of preventing any undesirablebulging out of the insole dor the formation of creases in the upper leather and injurious strain inthe seam.

' A really secure hold for the side curve of the foot is not obtained bydifferent teeth or prongs projecting below the sole, but only by a solidplate adapted as far as possible to a proper shape of foot, and suitablymade of sheet steel. This plate 6, according to the invention issupported by a number of diverging stays a, which pass through betweenthe different stitches in the insole. The di vergence of the stays 0requires different degrees of curvature for thedifferent stays 0, owingto which the plate 6 obtains greater support than if the curvature wereequally great in all the stays. The principal cause of the satisfactoryhold ofthe supportingdevice I) is however the divergence of the stays ainasmuch as thereby the stays are prevented from slipping out orslippingin i the gaps in the seams. In consequence of into the gaps from.outside, but must be inserted before the insole (Z 'and the outer sole eare stitched together. As is well known .the insole d is thickened, inorder that suffi- 'ciently strong leather material may be provided forstitching it to the'outer sole e. By the interposition of the'supportingdecisions the stays c are let. The sole consequently, in spite of'theinsertion of the supporting device I), is not thickened, so that theshoe for the flat-footed person does not differ externally from ordinaryshoes.

The supporting device I) is held particularly secure in its right,position if different stays are so formed that they extend partiallybelow the heel and partially below the base of the small toe. As thebodily weight of a human being rests for the most part on these pointsin the sole, the stays b are clearly more firmly pressed down, than ifthe stays lay only belowthe less strained, softer middle part ofthefoot.

What I claim as my invention, and desire no All the spreading outofthestays c the supporting device Z) cannot be subsequently pushed thereof.and having a portion extending up on the inner side of the shoe, anddiverging stays carried by the plate and disposed so that one of thestays is disposed beneath the heel of the shoe and another of the staysprojects adjacent the base of the small toe of the wearer when the shoeis in use.

2. In a shoe, a plate for supporting the arch of the foot at the innerside thereof disposed adjacent the arch, and diverging stays carried bythe plate and extending under the insole of the shoe, said insole havinga reinforced stitching rib formed With openings to receive the stays,and means to secure the plate between the insole and outer sole.

3. In a shoe, a plate curved to conformably engage the arch of the shoeat the inner side thereof and formed with a series of integral spacedstays which extend under the insole between the latter and the outersole, the stays at one end of the at the opposite end of the plateextending toward the toe of the shoe on the outer side thereof.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

- PAUL LENGEMANN. Witnesses:

FRITZ REUNCMANN, KARL VARRELMANN.

plate. extending toward the heel of the shoe and the'stays

